Explosive and method of making same.



Unirnn Sra'riss 'Eatented June 14,

EXPLOSWE AND METHQD iiAttibK-Ti SAME $PEGIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 752%?3, dated S 11316 14;, 193 5. Application filed June 19 1900. Renewed l lovember 16, 1903. Serial ilo, 181,412. (No specimens.)

T all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, EVERARD STEELE,3. citizen of the United States, residing at Mill Valley, in the county of Marin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosives and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in explosives and methods of making the same, the object of my invention being to provide an explosive which shall be very powerful, in its effects and which will keep for an indefinite period without deteriorating in quaiity.

A further object of my invention is to pro- -vide an improved method of making explosives.

In practicing my invention 1 take a Suficient quantity of phthalic acid, obtained by any of the well-known methods, and I nitrate the same by the addition of nitric' acid. The nitrated phthalic acid or nitrophthalic acid thus obtained is reduced to a powder and is mixed with from two to four times its weight 5 of potassium chlorate, also finely pulverized. This mixture is now moistened with a sufiicient quantity of alcohol, wood-alcohol, or similar solvent, and the whole mass is agitated gently. Each particle of the nitrophthalic 3 acid is brought to a semiliquid condition by the introduction of the alcohol, and by the agitation each particle of the potassium chlorate is inclosed with a coating of nitrophthalic acid so dissolved. The evaporation of the alcohol leaves a hard coating of nitrophthalic upon the particles of chlorate ot' potash, pre serving them for all time against the action of moisture.

Chlorate-oi-potash explosives have always 4 heretofore been regarded as very uncertain in their action and dangerous.- This is due to the hygroscopic character of chlorate of potash itself, and the fact that it is affected by changes in the humidity and temperature of the atmosphere. T he absorption of moisture from the atmosphere by chlorate of potash and the subsequent evaporation of the same tend to set up chemical reactions in mixtures of which it forms an ingredient.

I make a chlorate of-potash explosive which dient of the explosive essential to the explosive action.

is safe and stable and having at the same time violent explosive force by protecting each separate grain or particle of the chiorate oi potash from the action of moisture by a coat ing of the very ingredient which chemicaiiy reacts with the chlorate of potash expiosiveiy, said ingredient being unaffected by moisture or ordinary changes of temperature. Th fore .i do not limit my invention to the sne substances nitrophthaiic acid and elders c potash; but the'essence or spirit of t ture oi" my invention wili be comg when an oxidizing agentin the form a p der is mixed with an ingredient expireacting with the oxidizing agent ar fected by moisture, so that the par 1 grains of the oxidizing agent are individuaiiy covered with a coating of the other ingredient. it must be understood that the nitrate.-

phthalic acid is not dissolved bodiiy in alco n or ether and then applied to the whole it: of the chlorate of potash and the voiatiie m uid evaporated therefrom, this wouid an entirely diherent result namcly, a solid mass which would have to be cut into grainsand the chlorate of potash would then exposed and the object of the invention deiea i am aware that it has been proposed to impregnate gunpowder and other explosives with wax and oils; but such an explosive is entirely different from mine, since the protective material so used is a substance entirely foreign to the explosive, whereas in my inventionthe protective material is an ingr v w my sun When the particles of an explosive are coated or protected with neutral hydrocarbons, each particle is then protected bysaid coating not only from moisture, but from the detonati'ng cii'ect of the particles previously exploded. This necessarng re duces the rapidity of the explosion, and therefore its destructive eli'ect. The explosive has to do work in vaporizing the wax or oils,

which work is lost as re ards useful eii'ectire )5 )2 results.

2. An enpiosive comprising nitmte i phthalic acid cl chloiete o'i pots-sh, substentisiilgflin the progiortions specific";

3. An explosive consisting of grains, each of which comprise a main body portion enci 2. complete costing, said body portion-consisting exclusively of chlorate of potash and said coating consisting exclusively of an ingredient reacting explosively with the chlorate of potash, ssicl ingredient being insoluble in Water but soluble in a volatile liquid, whereby the of chlorate of potash are entirely protected from the action of moisture bye hardened coating of the ingredient, substantially described.

An explosive consisting of grains, each of which comprises a body portion consisting exclusively of an oxidizing agent, and tic-omplete costing consistingexclusively of en ingredient reacting explosively with the'oxi dizing agent, and insoluble in Water but soluole in a volatile liquid, so forming a. hardened coating; around the grains of the oxidizing .zigent. substantially as described.

An explosive consisting of grains each comprising :1 body portion and a complete coating. he hotly portion consisting exclusively of one ingredient, and the coating exclusiyelgy of the other ingredient. said ingredients reacting chemically with violence, the 3 latter being insoluble inmater but soluble in avoletile liquid, substantially as described. 6. A process of making an explosive consisting of two-ingredients which reset cheniicoliy with VlOlGDCG,'OIlQ of said ingredients 35' being a substance insoluble in water but sol" chic in a volatile liquid which consists in forming" the other ingredient into grains or smell particles, dissolving" in a volatile liquid the ingredient which is insolubie in weter, 4 coating the particles of the other ingreoie nt with the letter ingredient-so dissolved,-emi then evaporating the volatile liquid to leave a hardened coating of the latter ingredient on the other ingredient, substantially as de- 45 scribed.

in vitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses EVERARD STEELE.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS lit. WRIGHT,

Fnoennon ii. Viionse. 

